Nintendo Wii U Controller/Console Combo

CrunchGear: I think Nintendo is going about this all wrong. The Wii U controller tries to be both a controller and a console but I don’t think it will do either very well. There are two major shifts in gaming. One is pioneered by Microsoft: get rid of all controls and let your body do the talking. You are freed from any physical controller. The other shift is dominated by Apple: let your smartphone be your gaming platform with great games at cheap prices. The iPhone is always with you and so are your games.

Nintendo, with its Wii U controller/console contraption, is embracing neither. I can’t easily dismiss Nintendo because the company did redefine how you interact with your gaming console with the original Wii. At a cheaper price than the Xbox 360 and the PlayStation 3 the Wii really did revolutionize gaming. You might even say that the Wii inspired Microsoft to copy and advance Nintendo’s concept to bring forth its Kinect. But this Wii U controller… there are some problems. You can’t wield this thing like you can with a regular controller; there’s too much bulk. It’s also too bulky to use as a standalone portable console. Compare it to its own DS, Sony’s PlayStation Vita, or Apple’s iPhone and already the Wii U controller is behind.

I feel like I am missing something critical here because Nintendo is an innovative company that brings out products that almost always change the name of the game. But this time, with its Wii U controller/console combo thingamajig, I’m not so sure.